1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved submerged breakwater and barrier reef designed to prevent shoreline deterioration and beach erosion in coastal areas. The instant invention is an improvement over the breakwater module disclosed in the patent application Ser. No. 07/576,598, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,598, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The '598 specification, at pages 6 through 13, describes in detail the general construction and operation of the reef modules, and its design specifications. The instant invention adds the improvement of a plurality of depressions which are placed on the surface of the concave, seaward face, to eliminate the deleterious effects of scouring which occurs about the reef.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous patents relate to shoreline breakwaters and/or erosion prevention devices. The most relevant disclosure relating to the instant invention is set forth in the incorporated application Ser. No. 07/576,598, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,156 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,141 ('141 Patent) which discloses a prefabricated erosion prevention device. The '141 Patent issued to Hans G. Rauch, inventor of the improved barrier reef disclosed in this application. It was a result of further research and testing to control scouring which lead to the development of this invention.
Other shoreline breakwaters can be found in a variety of configurations. For example, Hubbard U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,608; Weir U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,805; Schaaf et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,978; Schaaf et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,598; and Creter U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,816 all disclose devices for controlling beach erosion or coastal problems. None of these devices have withstood the test of time, nor have they proven to be effective solutions.
It is therefore highly desirable to provide an improved submerged breakwater and barrier reef exhibiting optimal performance characteristics in the prevention of scouring caused by wave energy.
It is also highly desirable to provide an improved submerged breakwater and barrier reef which incorporates a mechanism to prevent scouring which is cost effective yet operationally efficient.
Finally, it is highly desirable to provide an improved submerged breakwater and barrier reef which incorporates all of the above-mentioned features.